Telescope Reviews: The meaning of advice

Advice is a means of relating our opinions, beliefs or value recommendations about a certain situation to another person. Advice can be based on experience and/or research. It is sometimes handed down from person to person because it's worked in the past and should, in theory, work in the future.

Giving advice bears a certain, for want of a better word, "moral" responsibility. We should carefully consider what we offer to others as advice. When asking for advice a person becomes vulnerable to the words and implied expertise of the advice giver. They give up power in exchange for the gift of wisdom that another has to offer. Here is where the "moral responsibility" comes into play. Is what we have to offer going to help accomplish the goal(s) of the one seeking advice? Will it do so without putting them at risk? Is what we are suggesting "the right thing to do" considering the circumstances or situation the advice seeker finds him or herself in?

While we can't all be experts, we can offer others the benefit of our experiences. In doing so we will hopefully remember to avoid the implication that there is only one way to do something and instead be the purveyors of ideas.

The person asking for advice has the right and responsibility to accept it or reject it as they deem appropriate. One size does not fit all nor should it.

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1965Healey (Karen)
Woodlawn Lake Observatory
Celestron CPC 800/FT MIcro/APT Wedge
SV NHNG 80mm #0261/CG5-GT
Celestron Omni 150 XLT
Losmandy rails/rings
Starizona CWeight system
Celestron Neximage
Sony a100 DSLR/ZigView S2
Meade DS60's w/Autostar (2)
Meade LPI/Meade DSI-C/DSI ProII
750cc Honda Shadow Spirit (Thanks Dad!)
1965 Austin Healey 3000 MKIII

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